Coconut Curry Lentil Stew

That means it’s time to make stew. It also means I walked around for two hours today with a dried cranberry stuck to the front of my dress. I have nothing else to say.

Coconut Curry Lentil Stew

Chop up 2 or 3 carrots and an onion. Cook in olive oiland butterin a large pot until tender. If you like some heat, chop up a jalapeño, and add it to the carrots and onions. Toss in at least 2 cloves of finely minced garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons curry powder, salt, and 1/3 cup (or one small can) of tomato paste. I often just use my palm to put in the spices, and I go heavy on it. You’re going to let that cook in the pan for a couple minutes, because you don’t want the soup to taste like raw spices. It’s going to smell powerful, but that is okay. It will be diluted soon.

Pour in 7 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Add 2 cups dried lentils and 1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas. If you want, you could leave the chickpeas out and get them crispy on a baking sheet in the oven. They make a nice garnish and add some texture (see picture! also see tiny, snowy bird footprints!). Boil until lentils are tender. At the end, put in 1 can (or 2, depending on how creamy you want your stew) of coconut milk. Serve with rice, cilantro, Greek yogurt, and lime wedges.